Making Sense of Business: A No-Nonsense Guide to Business Skills for Managers and Entrepreneurs

Determined businesspeople find ways of getting started even when they don't know how.  At some point, many entrepreneurs and managers feel they need to acquire new skills and brush up on existing ones in order to achieve targets, make money, and avoid mistakes.

Making Sense of Business
 helps readers do just that, with expert guidance on key skills such as selling, presenting, and negotiating, and advice on developing self-confidence and learning to work creatively.  There is no advantage in devising an imaginative sales pitch if no one has the confidence to carry it off.  There is equally no benefit in having good interpersonal skills if after striking a deal the contract is signed without a thorough understanding of its contents, only to discover later that the agreement is a bad one, full of loopholes and liabilities.

Readers of Making Sense of Business will learn how to avoid those problems.  With illustrated mind maps and creative exercises, Making Sense of Business encourages fresh ways of thinking, helping readers learn new skills and solve problems creatively.  Boxes, diagrams and panels capture points in ways that are relevant, simples and logical.

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Making Sense of Business: A No-Nonsense Guide to Business Skills for Managers and Entrepreneurs

Determined businesspeople find ways of getting started even when they don't know how.  At some point, many entrepreneurs and managers feel they need to acquire new skills and brush up on existing ones in order to achieve targets, make money, and avoid mistakes.

Making Sense of Business
 helps readers do just that, with expert guidance on key skills such as selling, presenting, and negotiating, and advice on developing self-confidence and learning to work creatively.  There is no advantage in devising an imaginative sales pitch if no one has the confidence to carry it off.  There is equally no benefit in having good interpersonal skills if after striking a deal the contract is signed without a thorough understanding of its contents, only to discover later that the agreement is a bad one, full of loopholes and liabilities.

Readers of Making Sense of Business will learn how to avoid those problems.  With illustrated mind maps and creative exercises, Making Sense of Business encourages fresh ways of thinking, helping readers learn new skills and solve problems creatively.  Boxes, diagrams and panels capture points in ways that are relevant, simples and logical.

19.95 In Stock
Making Sense of Business: A No-Nonsense Guide to Business Skills for Managers and Entrepreneurs

Making Sense of Business: A No-Nonsense Guide to Business Skills for Managers and Entrepreneurs

by Alison Branagan
Making Sense of Business: A No-Nonsense Guide to Business Skills for Managers and Entrepreneurs

Making Sense of Business: A No-Nonsense Guide to Business Skills for Managers and Entrepreneurs

by Alison Branagan

eBook

$19.95 

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Overview

Determined businesspeople find ways of getting started even when they don't know how.  At some point, many entrepreneurs and managers feel they need to acquire new skills and brush up on existing ones in order to achieve targets, make money, and avoid mistakes.

Making Sense of Business
 helps readers do just that, with expert guidance on key skills such as selling, presenting, and negotiating, and advice on developing self-confidence and learning to work creatively.  There is no advantage in devising an imaginative sales pitch if no one has the confidence to carry it off.  There is equally no benefit in having good interpersonal skills if after striking a deal the contract is signed without a thorough understanding of its contents, only to discover later that the agreement is a bad one, full of loopholes and liabilities.

Readers of Making Sense of Business will learn how to avoid those problems.  With illustrated mind maps and creative exercises, Making Sense of Business encourages fresh ways of thinking, helping readers learn new skills and solve problems creatively.  Boxes, diagrams and panels capture points in ways that are relevant, simples and logical.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780749457440
Publisher: Ebsco Publishing
Publication date: 06/28/2009
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 208
File size: 3 MB

About the Author

Alison Branagan is a business consultant who has established courses at a number of London universities and conducted a series of master classes for the Association of Illustrators.  She has also devised and facilitated many community enterprise projects for business and non-profit organizations, with a particular interest in creative fields.  Many professional bodies have commissioned her to write web-based guides, speak at seminars and develop enterprise programs for their members.

Table of Contents

About the author viii

Foreword ix

Acknowledgements x

Introduction 1

1 What is enterprise? 4

Business knowledge versus enterprise skills 5

What are enterprise skills? 7

2 Understanding risk 10

Judging risk 11

How to analyse risk 12

3 Managing enterprising minds 18

Managing a team-enterprise 19

Team-enterprise and risk management 20

Minimizing the risk of failure 21

4 How to focus 25

How do you gain focus? 26

Vision 29

Goals 31

Achieving team goals 34

5 The importance of networking 38

Why network? 40

Social networks 42

Beyond the comfort zone 46

How to network 48

6 Knowing your customer 55

Who is your customer? 56

Develop an inquiring mind 57

Understanding the mind of customers 60

Value to the customer 62

7 How to sell 67

The sales process 67

How to structure a sales pitch 69

Practical things to think about 71

Customer not happy? 73

8 Managing time wisely 79

How time is used 81

Valuing time 82

The business cake theory 83

Seven segments of business time 87

9 Legal and ethical matters 94

Crime 96

Ethics 97

Risks and insurance 99

Intellectual and industrial property 100

Contracts 104

Other important laws 105

Tax 107

10 How to present yourself 111

Seven steps to successful presentation 111

Improving daily communication 121

11 Negotiation 125

Preparation 127

Principles 128

Tactics 131

Presentation 134

Seven steps to successful negotiation 136

12 Keeping positive 145

Mindset 145

Environment 146

Dealing with rejection 149

Cultivating a positive mindset 149

13 Creative thinking 155

Why is it needed? 155

How is it cultivated? 156

Being resourceful 159

Creative problemsolving 159

Publicity stunts 163

14 Planning your next move 168

Goals and vision 169

Importance of innovation and technology 170

Managing growth 171

In conclusion 174

Glossary 177

Further reading 180

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